Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-08-02
a GiaASTLY DISCOVERY.
Peter Carriers asa Lighthouse
RnGry-A Iii. Fair i'm she
EOOfts. &c.

r-orrosronGenco Of the E.cnmon D'spa.ch.l
CME CHARLES CRY, Aug. I. 1887.
Captain $. j. Costin. commanding
an oyster-sloop on this shore, discover
ell one day last week the body Of man
floating in RaccOOn creek, fIshermens
inlet, not far from the capes. The
Gcah had been entirely eaten from the
face, feet, and hands by the crabs; one
hand was gone, and there was nothing
left Of the head but n grinning skull (;
hut the body being dressed in thick
wOollen suit, with OvcTalls buttOned
over that, the crabs could not get to it,
and. though much decomposed aud
swollen, it was not destroyed. Cap
tain Cosiin took the body ashore
and buried it, and says he thinks the
man must have gone down with the
three-masted schooner Muir and Cram
lAor, from New York. which was run
ili0 and sunk one night last March of
the copes by an unknown steamer.
Captain Costin found pawn-ticlet III
The pocket OF the pants of this man
which may lead TO his Identification,
and which read rs follows " No. 51jI.
J.. Freed, 100 Hamilton avenue, Brook
iyn. March -, 1887. SUITE, 1875. J.
Ninson." The name y. Freed Is
Ilinted on the face OF the ticket and
would seem to be that of the pawn
broker.
Last week. while tine pony-train;ng
Was going on ut Chincuteague, ylo-
lent thunder storm arose, aud a man
who was riding one OF the ponies was
struck 10y bolt OF Lightning and both
heand the horse instantly killed The
mans body WAS burned all over to such
an extent that his skin slipped Off with
his clothes when they were removed
from the body.
The Methodist Episcopal Church peo-
pie here had fair in the pretty OK
and pine grove on the hay beach the
other day. 4 large crowd of five or six
hundred persons focked in from all tho
country side, and the woods were full
of carriages, horses, and people. One
hundred gallons of ice-cream were con-
sumed, and about $500 taken Ill for the
new church building fund.
The oystermen here say they never
saw oysters grow as they do this sea
son. One told me last night that a
week ago he planted vessel-lold Of
shells in Plantation creek for the oyster
SHAWN to attach itself 70. lie had just
examined this plant and found the old
shells full of young oysters as large as
his thumb-nail. Such rapid growth is
said to be phenomenal.
l was at the light house OFF this shore
to day, of which the late well-known
colored politician, Peter j. Carter, WAS
keeper in the halcyon days of Ma
loneism, and looking over the day-boOk
of current entries l was interested in
reading the last entry made by poor
Peter. Itbears date July q, 1880, and
reads Supplies all used up. Nothing
to eat had nothing for three days.
Assistant absent-sick.. Got boat but
no oars. Signalled vessel to-day, but
she took no notice of me. What shall
/ do
The next entry is in a different hand,
dated July Odd" Took charge to-day
anu renewed IeVcT u. OdIict lOttllu
house in bad condition Carter re-
moved signed A. j. Spady, who was
another negro. White menand Demo
Gratis are now in charge, the chief keep
er being Captain Fisher. Everything
is in apple-pie order and as neat as
new pin. This light is a much more
important one now since Cape Charles
City was built and has become a. port
where vessels enter every night. A
new lighthouse with all the modernim-
provements has just been built about
four miles from the old one.
Speaking of Peter Carter, ] saw the
guardian OF bis children the other day,
Captain George Il. Daily, a respecta-
bic white citizen of Northampton. He
said he had received and invested
90, eco life-insurance money which Car
ter had left to his first set of children.
When he died last year he had a Sc
cond wife, Who did not share in the ben
efits OF his life insurance. Vox.